Lighting fixture



Oct. 26, 1943. D. w. ABERNATHY LIGHTING FIXTURE Filed April 1, 1942 yrzdnf? Patented Get. 26, 1943 I v I e y 2,332,770

\ a u n emittt" 'plorationoi Illinois j This invention relates to lighting fixturesyand more particularly to a lighting: fixture for use with tubular'lightingmans, such as for exam- *ple; fluorescentgaseous discharge; tubes. 1

an improved construction for ei-lighting fixture. j" Afurther object of-thisinventio'n is to provide a novel and improved fixtureof the character deiscriloed, which will be light-,yet very sturdy and resistant to either longitudinal 3 or transverse bending. I f "*Aiurther object of thefin 'ention is-toproyide a fixture or the f character described when ill Q simple and economical in construction.

a; fixtureof the character described wmcn wm enable the space above the fixturdtobfillii" Zriat'ed at np expense of e the usual mimiqapib jgg stin afurtherfobj eat or; the invention is p jyide 1a,fi$ ture of the' character describedw erem he ivarious elementsof the circuivwills all times" be easilyaccessible for service and inspec- I Other ohjects lie in thespecific-constructional details ofthe fixturewhereby same mja'y b' ea "'ly fabricated and'assemble'dyjj A high will appear as the description prop e s,

. Withthe foregoing andotherjobjelcts an pfconstructions, arrangement and combination ji 'par'ts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing, and particularly fip'o' ted out in the appended claims, it beinggun- 'derstood that variouschange's'in the form f'prdportion, size and minor orfsacrificing any of the" advantagesor the H q or the purpose of feel tating an understand- 1 ing fof my, intention; I; have illustrated -i'n the -at:companying drawing a preferred embodiment "thereof; from andnspctiomofwhich, when considered'inf connection with the following descripf'tages *should be {readily understood and L ap- "DI'GCiated-" i All i Referring 'to the drawing "which the same characters or reference areemployed to indicate i corresponding or similar parts" throughout tlie "severalfig'ures of-the draiwingz i 1:19:41

' Fig.- 1 isa perspective view of a lightingfixture eihbodyingmyinventiom r 9 An'objectofthis'invention is to provide-anovel :10 .10 has curved ventionconsists of certain novelfeaturesi g flctm, A

Tmay be made without departingirpni tnejsib f it ition my inirlntion; itsmode or con'struction, as-

4 semblyand operation, and'many of itsadyztrin iiriagw. Abrji atifi, emerge-111., assigndr 6 1 Products Development, Inc., Chicago, Ill, a. cor -q fixture on. the -line of Fig, -1 in the'general di e ti nvi d c ted 2 @Eig. 3 11s a: ra men a y t plan. ew o a fend ofth xtur .i re ere ce c a a t r. I 0 desig t e l ll a reflecto -f e i sh e m a n ed e i he suspended from theceilingl for exampli in order. to throw. light downwardly. The reflector sides ll each terminating ,id'an ipturr'ie'd flange 12 serves. to provide longi- ""dinalfrigidityfor the curved'"portionsfl I, and also tofpreyent deformatipn'of the edges of the ffQrefletor. "Thefciiifyedjportions II are connected .tion I 3,;the Central part or which is downwardly offset to form fa, channel or-' well l4 extending longitudinally of the entire fixture? The" reflector is adapted to downwardly direct ,illumination emanatingv from two tubular lamps fi'whiclrare arranged-longitudinally of'the fixfture arid are disposedimmediately below the pla- 'narportionl? where samehave not been down- "wardly oif-setfi- Thef lamps l5 are preferably Ifgaseouisdischar gedevices, having thewalls :thereor treatedto produce the well-lrnown fluorescent 'illumirration, he ends of the lamps Iiare'engag'ed by conventional electrical socket devices Iii-which arefixed adjacent theends of the re- ObViouslyithe reflector has appropriate openings for the accommodation of said devices; [6. V e lus'trates a thermostaticstarting switch H, which isprovided 'ior each tube and {installed adjacent l a a a the socketdevices' at the ends of the reflector' th tru ure .t w. a w details of {e 8 t" .tThe"=illumination'afrom-the fluorescent lamps I5 is directed downwards by the deflector, as' pre- Wiouslyexplained; hence that portion whichnradiates; upwards will-normally be reflected back int'o t'he tubes-15.. A series of elongated openrings 118: along the. portions l3" disposed :directly ahoye,, the.tubes vl5 lthroughoutl the length of the &Jfl60t0l': H) are provideduini my improvedlcon- =-struction; .In this; manner. light from theitubes which would-onQrmallyloe lost 'isrlirected upwards and lservesi tof illuminate the t-otherwise dark space abovekt fixture. 1 'Qbilious Ladvantages vof this type of fixture-ere O ,th at the.gadded illumination, is achieved without theuseaof any extratubes or other'equipmentn lIn commerciarestablishments illumination of .the

portancei' ,Inindustrial establishments many adtype afforded byqmy linven'tion is .of prime imis a sectional,viewvtakengthmugh lx vantages accrue,"iromincreasedillumination of The drawing diagrammatically ilthe portion of the ceiling directly above the ture.

About each of the openings [8 is provided an upstanding flange I9. The flanges l9 serve the purpose of strengthening the reflector I0 at its weakest points, namely in theplanar portions l3 between the curved portions II and the well or channel. l 4. 7 flanges op os'e tran sjverse gbelnghlng, and the longitudinal portions of the flanges I9 rigidifyv the reflector l0 longitudin cation, the openings l8 and the flanges [9 m be formed by one continuous follow-thriifighf' eration, which consecutivelyvpunches out th ters and draws the flanges gl flnl'.

' My invention is not limited to thi in n far"- formation of the flanges, nor is it essential that they be integrally fo Prefabricated flanges l9 welded in place viill serve to strengthen my fixture in a like manner. since the ce'ntral well -14 extends tne entife length of the reflector IO, it al's'o-sei ves t" fl I the fixture against 'lorigitficlinailbnding ing. The channel 14 also serves atioth i'i th,

ref rpre'fer b'meris e P" 110 1 2 and-a s c t PQr bm-ZBth -low e. f'nWhiGh hasv contours; enabling, same 1 t snugly; fit .thetonof m fe ec qr..; 0;an he wel 4:? S1 flange 29 facilitate easy installation. The-cover am m ber 2.631s adaptedz o-;be:snapn d -.on.=' 0-: l1

member 22 and fastened: in; place ;by, Qrews;-30 which enter lugs -member 22r-ine In order 1130 .=co same, -.I.--'have provided: sheet which overlie the well and ha 'gcuredeby'spot' weldingzor. in some otherE-fSuitable manner to the planar portions 113.2 i/Th eSelfi-UUl/Yer .plates 32 also aid in'eliminating-b'oth transverse ":and longitudinal bending; and henceforeclose any; possibility of the fixture twisting or becoming' 'deformed. :I' provide two? of such? plates f= 321 0ne between each member 22' a'r 1cl "tlie-end"o f th "central cover member 2 l r-Each -en me'znber132 has-*an upward1y: bent flang@ 3'3. :The '2flarige 331ht' the outer ed'ge ofi-the platei memb'ers "I engages under the 5 bottom edge ofithe "portion -n v of the member-:52 2; :and' 'isiispot welded thereto, while"the flanges-- B at thecenter df th'e fiXtur'e 'serve as rneans whereby the cover'imemberfl may-=1 v metalgplateswfl The. t a v se,p t iqt an t e ally thereof. In fabrie 3|.integrallyisforme witha'theer the k 1 4:-

protectcthe veztheir *edges sediofzeac'hffplate v be firmly held in position by 'snapping'i place over the same. i

.The wall 23 has an upwardly extending pottion 34 provided with openings 35 and servingas 5 a bracket-whereby the entirefixture may besuspended from a ceiling. Other means of installation of the fixture or su QQP T Q .bfis i fiflnwmb 'seen thatffIT: I v l0 'tvhiohfi's'lig'ht', biit which atth'e Sametime rigid .gand'practically free frombending and twisting. manner of vbending stress has been practically". e1

iminated without the useof superfluous brac- Further ation than is possible with coneilenti-dnalsflxtiiresiiising th comp illu 'nating equipment. ""It"'isff'bel ieved that my invention iconstruction :and assembl ryaintagessshould bc' i1 remain.- foregoin without them rdeaerl tmnemmuit ShOLlld 3415051136231 .134 test lQva'sml'lfiQ.

25 Y m od mc tQLth ventio- .bWQQQQSYQQ .described:.iereilla tra ire. -wdeta ls are.neverthelesseapab piiw s ee within;thei u nieweofnm V 2 in hewann nded :selaims 1 What:- a a idndas r n Patent of the United States is: I nxtu e :fo e seg eent e 'lem natn ti'ally elon at A P5 esqe setd i eafliwez an e da dr qn position.-

.dfi sflll a w. dsvi e s Pimp-1 1 .7 'means comprising tra pport thereof play, 101'.

again fixture e flxture is capable of economical e' 'quantities, I have also, by, re, provided'greater and more I e same electrical andits mode'oi yrz-andaimanyepi ite'adv ajlon C movable whereby access may be hadto said socket devices or ballast means.

3. A fixture for use in connection with fluorescent illuminating means, comprising a substantially elongated sheet metal reflector member, socket devices affixed to theends of the reflector and adapted to retain said illuminating means in position, ballast means for aiding in the operating of said fluorescent illuminating means, said reflector member having a U-shaped" central channel formed therein along the whole length of the reflector member, said socket devices and ballast means being disposed within said U- shaped channel, protective cover means'overlying theends of the channel and enclosing the socket devices at opposite ends of the fixture, separate cent illuminating means, comprising a substaning the ends of the channel and enclosing the cover means overlying the center of said channel and protectively enclosing said ballast means,

plate members fixedly secured to the top of said reflector member, overlying said channel an'd clos ing those portions of said channel extending between said end protective cover means and the center protective cover means, each of said cover means being separatelyremovable whereby access may be had to said socket devices or ballast means, and a plurality of elongated light-transmitting parts provided in said reflector directly above and along each of said illuminating means, each of said ports having upstanding flanges sur- I rounding same.

socket devices at opposite ends of the fixture, said cover means comprising transverse parts snugly fitting the profile of said U-shaped channel, separate cover means overlying the center of said channel and protectively enclosing said ballast "means, platernembers fixedly secured to the top of said reflector member, overlying said channel and closing those portions of said channel extending between said end protective cover means Q and the center protective cover means, each of said cover means being separately removable i. A fixture for use in connection with fluoreswhereby access may be had to said socket devices or ballast means, and a plurality of elongated light-transmitting ports provided in said reflector directly above and along each of said illuminating means, each of said'ports having upstanding flanges surrounding same.

' DAVID w. ABERNATHY. 

